From 80s romantic to 90s working woman: The key dresses from the new Princess Diana fashion exhibition

One of the Princess’s lesser-known looks, this checked Emanuel coat was dubbed ‘the horse blanket’ when she debuted it during an official visit to Venice in 1985.

Part of a collection inspired by 1920s flapper girls, the look ‘just didn’t work in photographs’, explains Lynn. It’s a neat example of how eager the Princess was to please. ‘She actively created her own image. She read her reviews and tailored her style so that she could be seen as elegant and glamorous, which she considered part of her job,’ adds Lynn.

‘Most people have the luxury of experimenting with their style without the international press looking on, but that wasn’t the case for Diana.’

The coat ended up in a pile that was taken to a charity shop by Sarah Ferguson’s mother. It was bought by a woman who kept it for 20 years before selling it at auction in 2016, when it was acquired by Kensington Palace for this exhibition.